Connecting HPA and Hiroshima

Upper School students host their peers from Kokutaiji High School

HPA’s student union, Ko Kākou Hale, buzzes with conversation, Japanese alternating with English, as HPA student hosts share a meal with their guests. For more than 10 years, Kokutaiji High School in Hiroshima, Japan, has brought students to Hawai’i Island for an annual all-junior class trip, visiting the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center, Volcano National Park, and Subaru Telescope. Five years ago, Rika Inaba, HPA’s Japanese teacher, forged a connection between the two schools, and now HPA is part of their annual Hawai‘i Island trip, hosting about forty students, who are part of their “super science” group, for a special day.

Their visit to Hawai’i Island focuses on STEM research, but their time on the HPA campus allows Japanese students to get taste of the American high school experience. Students attend classes, take part in games, and tour the HPA campus. Nazuma Sato, an 11th grade student from Kokutaiji High School explains “I wanted to come because it’s good to practice speaking English; it’s a little scary to take a trip like this, but scary in a good way. I’ve grown up in Hiroshima and never left before this. Being here has been eye-opening!”

Her host, Lily Ameika ’20, agrees. “Hosting a Japanese student is a great experience for me. Not only do I get to practice my Japanese, but also it’s an opportunity to interact, to compare our experiences. It’s so different than being in the classroom and learning about Japanese culture or practicing speaking. This is real—speaking and listening in real time!”

In March, a group of about ten HPA students will enjoy return hospitality from Kokuataiji students. They will visit Hiroshima as part of HPA’s OurWorld Travel Abroad Program, which includes staying with Japanese families, visiting Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and speaking to atomic bomb survivors.